Fluorescent lighting fixture



June 10., VV1947. L. scHEPMOEs FLUORESCENT .LIGHTING FIXTURE `0rigina1File'd June 24, 1942 Rm N n O wy vn m, A w M @mf Patented June l0, 1947UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,421,967 FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURELindsley -Schepmoes, New Haven, Conn., assigner to The Safety CarHeating and Lighting Coma pany, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Originalapplication June 24, 1942, Serial No. 448,313. Divided and thisapplication June 2, .1944, Serial No. 538,400

3 Claims.

This invention relates to lighting 'fixtures and Jnore particularly to afluorescent lighting fixure.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a fixture forfluorescent lighting characterized by simplicity and 'sturdiness andwhich is compact so as to be capable of installation in restrictedspaces. Another object is to provide a fixture of the above naturecapable of providing maximum light distribution from a fluo- 1'0 rescentlamp, regardless of the position of installation of the fixture. Anotherobject is to provide a fixture of the ab'ove nature in which glare isreduced to a minimum when the fixture is observed in the normal range ofvision. An- '15 compact housing of pleasing external appearance whichmay `be mounted directly on a wall surface with no part oi itpenetrating the wall. Other objects will be in part apparent and in partpointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the ieal tures of construction,combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated'in the following claims.

This application is a division of my copendin'g application Serial No.448,313, filed June 24, 1942, which issued as Patent 2,352,804 on July4, 1944 entitled Fluorescent lighting fixture.

In the drawing, wherein I have shown one embodiment of my fixture, 1

Figure l is a perspective View of my fixture;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section of the fixture shown inFigure l;

Figure 3 is a section taken Aalong the line 3-3 of Figure 4; and,

Figure 4 is a section taken along the` line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters .refer to similar parts throughout thevarious views of the draw.. ings.

The ever-increasing development and use 0L, fluorescent lighting hasgiven rise to a number of problems and difficulties in the provision ofsuitable fixtures for fluorescent lamps, and suitable housings for theelectrical apparatus necessary to the operation of the fiuorescent lamp.Even when this necessary electrical equipment is provided in compactform, it is still difficult to house and conceal in such a manner as toprevent unsightly bulkiness.

shade, generally indicated at 69.

due to the length of the VfiuorescentV lamp itself which, of course,necessitates a fixture 'of still greater over-all dimensions. Also, whenit is desired to use fluorescent lighting in particular installations,`such as in railroad cars, 'Pullmanv berths, mirrors, over beds in homesor on ships, and similar places where space is relatively confined,additional difficult problems arise in providing a fixture suitable forsuch installations. Space limitations are confined not only to wallsurface area or mirror frame surface, but also the thickness ofVpartitions adds further complications in that, in many cases, pentrationof the partition is not allowed, thus lnecessitating theprovision of afixture which iscomple'tely selfcontained and which must therefore bevcapable of direct attachment to the partition.

It is accordingly a further object of my invention to provide ailuorescent lighting fixture capable of solving 'the above-mentionedproblems and obviating the above-noted difficulties in an eiiicient andpractical manner.

It is often desirable, or necessary, to install a lighting fixture wheregeneral illumination is required rather than concentrated, asymmetricallight distribution, and particularly where symmetry is desired to meetprescribed 'decorative conditions. The fixture, generally indicated atSii-in Figure l,` is particularly well adapted to such use. Broadlyspeaking, fixture 66 resembles the fixture claimed in my above-notedapplication, in that it includes a housing, generally indicated at 6l, ametal or plastic canopy, generally indicated at 68, and a translucentplastic As Will be described in detail below, shade 69 is disposedwithin canopy E8 and is accordingly securely held in the fixture whenthe canopy is secured to housing '61. Housing El may in turn be directlyVattached to the desiredsupporting surface.

As shown in Figure 4, housing 6l is generally dish-shaped, having top,bottom and front walls 1'0, 1l, T2, and curved end walls I3` and' 14(Figure 2). At each end of housing 81 are a pair lof hollow posts 15 and16 (Figure 4) through which screws 'll extend so that their threadedends may be attached to the supporting surface on which the fixture isto be applied, thus to hold the housing securely in its installedposition. Housing 61, (Figure 2) also has a platform 18 formedintegrally therewith to support a ballast lamp 1S and its socket 80.When fixture B6 is to be energized from a source of direct current, itis provided with electrical equipment similar to that Furthercomplications arise described in connection with Figure 2. Thus fix ture66 may have disposed in the housing 81 thereof not only ballast lamp 19,but also starter switch 8| (Figure 3) condenser 82, resistor 83, andreactor 84. Starter 8| is secured to bottom wall 1| of the housing by ascrew |82. Starter 8| is, of course, provi-ded with on and off buttons85 and 86 which accessibly extend through holes drilled in the housingwall. It will accordingly appear that housing 66 supports and, wheninstalled, conceals the various electrical equipment for fluorescentlighting.

As shown in Figure 3, an opening 81 is formed in each end of housing 66through which the base of socket 54 may be placed, the socket beingsecured to the housing by a screw 88 which extends through front wall 12of the housing and is threaded into strap 51. Thus, when the sockets areinstalled at the opposite ends of the housing, they are in position todetachably support the fluorescent lamp 59.

Canopy 68 may be molded from a plastic material, or die cast from asuitable metal. In either event, however, it is preferable that allportions of the canopy be integral both for decorative purposes and tostrengthen the xture. Thus, canopy 68 comprises hollow hemisphericalends 89 and 90 (Figure 1) the distance between which is less than the.axial length of shade 69 so that when the shade is installed within thecanopy and connected to housing 61, the shade is securely held withinthe fixture. Canopy ends 89 and 90 are connected by narrow rails 9| and92 (see also Figure 4) and integrally formed with each of the ends 89and 90 is an attaching post 93 (Figure 2). When canopy 68 is installedon housing 61 these posts 93 project through the openings 81 in thehousing in a position to receive screws 94 which extend through holesdrilled in housing end walls 13 and 14, the screws thus securelyattaching the canopy to the housing. Preferably each of canopy ends 89and 99 is provided with an angular ridge 95 (Figure 2) which limitsendwise movement of shade 69 and accordingly prevents either end of theshade from becoming exposed.

Preferably housing wall 12 has an opening 96 which may be closed by apivoted door 91. This opening is provided to permit ready access toballast lamp 19 when the occasion arises. Preferably front wall 12 ofhousing 61 is suitably polished or coated with a reflecting material sothat this part of the housing comprises a reflector for the fluorescentlamp.

It may thus be seen that in fixture 68 full advantage has been taken ofthe benefits of fluorescent lighting, and that a neat, compact anddecorative fixture has been provided to fulll the several objectshereinbefore mentioned.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and asmany changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

l. A fiuorescent lighting fixture, in combination, a trough-shapedhousing having a front Wall adapted to support the fluorescent lightingauxiliaries, a pair of sockets secured to said housing wall andextending therefrom, a fluorescent lamp mounted in said sockets, acanopy secured to said housing and extending outwardly therefrom oversaid sockets and the ends of said lamp, said canopy including attachingposts at each end thereof adapted when the canopy is installed on thehousing to extend through holes formed in the housing, means forsecuring said posts to said housing to maintain said canopy in operativeposition thereon, and a light controlling member associated with saidcanopy and forming therewith an enclosure for said socket and said lampand the front wall of said housing.

2. A lighting fixture as defined in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends ofsaid housing are opaque and respectively overlie said sockets and theends of said lamp, the over-all length of said light controlling memberbeing less than the length of said lamp, and the distance between saidattaching posts being greater than the overall length of said lamp andsaid sockets, whereby said attaching posts, said sockets and said lampends are concealed by said opaque canopy ends.

3. A fluorescent lighting xture, in combination, a trough-shaped housinghaving a front wall, said housing being elongated and having holesformed therein at opposite ends, a pair of sockets secured to saidhousing wall and extending therefrom through said holes, a fluorescentlamp mounted in said sockets, a canopy secured to said housing andextending outwardly therefrom over said sockets and theI ends ofsaid'lamp, said canopy including attaching posts at each end thereofadapted When the canopy is installed on the housing to extend throughsaid holes in the housing, means for detachably securing said postsrespectively to the ends of said housing, and a light controlling membermounted within said canopy and forming therewith an enclosure for saidsockets and said lamp and the front Wall of said housing.

LINDSLEY SCHEPMOES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,687 Hoegger Apr. 16, 19352,239,343 Rumbaugh Apr. 22, 1941 2,283,782 Ashley et al May 19, 19422,293,672 Bookman Aug. 18, 1942 2,313,131 Elias Mar, 9, 1943 2,221,954Schepmoes Nov. 19, 1940 2,295,788 Hoeveler Sept. 15I 1942 2,385,040Strassburger et al. Sept. 18, 1945 2,342,570 Billei` Feb, 22,1944

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,399 Great Britain 1921

